Pocket clip



March 1, 1960 D. MACLEAN POCKET CLIP Filed Jan. 29, 1957 INVENTOR 7 Don/A40 WACLIAM BY 2 g i ATTO R N EYS 2,926,404 VYVPOCKET CLIP Donald M ac leau, Waterbury, Conn., assignor to Truelove 8; Maclean, Inc., Waterbury, Conn., a corporationof Connecticut Application January 29, 1957, Serial No. 636,948

Claims. (Cl. 24 -11) My invention relates to an improved spring clip, or

. Patented Mar. 1, 19 60 "tion is'shown in application to a spring-clip assembly 11 which may be of the variety which is removably clipped to a pen or pencil, or of the variety which is permanently secured to a pen or pencil, but'which is in the form shown securely mounted to a plastic comb 10. The clip essentially comprises an elongated body portion "'12 and'a spring-mounting member 13, the outer projecting end of the spring-mounting member being provided with anchoring points or lugs, such as the longitudinal lugs 14'andthe transverse anchoring lug 15.

In accordance with my invention, the spring-mounting member is elongated and is integrally formed with the body member 12. The body member 12 happens to be shown of channel-shaped configuration and in the pocket clip, as for use in fastening pencils, combs and the like articles to a pocket.

-It is an object of theinvention to provide device of the character indicated.

It is another object to provide an improved clip conan improved struction lending itself to extremely simple, fully auto- -matic assembly.

It is also an object to provide an improved clip con- ..struction .wherein: stress reversals may be substantially reduced in achieving action at least equivalent toaction achievable with existing constructions.

It is a further object to provide an improved clip construction involving no mutually pivoted parts.

Other objects and various further features of the invention will be pointed out or will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In

said drawings, whichshow, for illustrative purposes only, preferred forms of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective showing a pocket comb to which a clip of my invention has been applied;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in longitudinal section showing the clipof Fig. 1 as mounted on the comb; Fig. 3 is a rear three-quarter perspective view of the 4 clip of Figs. 1 and 2, prior to assembly to a comb or the like;

Fig. 4, is a Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken in the plane 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a flattened development of the blank or basic stamping from which the clip of Fig. 3 is formed;

Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 10 are views corresponding to Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6, but showing an alternative construction, Figs. 8 and 9 being in the plane 8-8 of Fig. 7, and in the plane 9-9 of Fig. 8, respectively; and

Figs. 11, 12, 13 and 14 and Figs. 15, 16, 17 and 18 are further groups of illustrations corresponding to the groups of Figs. 3 to 6 and 7 to 10 and illustrating two further embodiments. V

Briefly stated, my invention contemplates a one-piece clip of the character indicated, in which .an elongated lever body extends between a gripping end and a fingerengagement end, and in which an elongated spring-mounting membe: is integrally formed with and joined to a part of said body. The spring-mounting member is folded under a part of the lever body and diverges from an intermediate location under the body, in the direction of the finger-engagement end. Various formations of the spring-mounting member are shown and described. In the event the lever body is of channel configuration, it is particularly convenient to receive or cradle a major part of the spring-mounting member between sides of the channel and to provide retaining lugs formed out of the body of the channel to hold the spring-mounting member at the intermediate location on the body.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 6 in the drawings, my invenform of Figs. 1 to 6, the spring-mounting member is integrally joined to the gripping or garment-engaging end 16 of the clip. This gripping end happens to be formed "with opposed lobe projections 17 of arcuate shape, and

the adjacent part of the spring-mounting member 13 is contoured at 18 to conform with'the curvature of the lobes 17,-thus presenting an extremely smooth, non-snagging surface and shape. The spring-mounting member 13'also includes an elongated portion 19 contiguous to the curved part 18 and cradled between the opposed side Walls of the channel body 12. Said portion 19 extends to a generally intermediate location on the body, and beyond said intermediate location is bent outwardly (at 20) with divergence generally in the direction of the finger-engaging end 21.

The construction may be completed by forming retaining lugs 22 at the intermediate location from which portion 20 is bent, said lugs being integral with the adjacent sides of the body 10 and bent under the body 12 and fully locating and embracing the portion 19 of the spring member 13. The lug-retained position of the spring portion 19 is preferably spaced from the adjacent inner longitudinal sectional view of the clip of surface of the body 12 (as suggested by the clearance 12'). so that the substantial length of spring portion 19 is available to sustain flexing stresses, and stress concentrations in the vicinity of lugs 22 are avoided, thus substantially prolonging clip life. For convenience in the platingIoperations-which are necessarily involved in finishing a particular clip 11 formed of steel or other suitable metal, I provide arcuate recesses 23 in staggered relation along the opposed sides of the spring portion 19. This assures drainage-ports so that electrolyte may be quickly flushed once the clip is removed from a plating or other processing bath.

In the arrangement of Figs. 7 to 10, the clip is also formed with an integral spring-clip member 13, but the spring clip member 13' differs from the construction of Figs. 1 to 6 in that it is joined integrally to the fingerengagement end 21 of the clip. Such parts of the construction of Figs. 7 to 10 as have already been described are given the same reference numerals. The spring member 13' is shown to include a first portion 25 received between the opposed side walls of the finger-engaging end of the body 11 and bent around the retaining lugs 22, beyond which the outwardly projecting second portion (with anchor lugs 1415) is defined. The clearance at 12 again provides assurance against stress conditions, as noted above.

In the arrangement of Figs. 11 to 14, the spring member 13" is formed integrally with one side wall of the body 11, and, as shown, the spring member 13 is a part of the intermediate lug 22 formed out of the left exposed side. On the other and opposite side of the body 11, the previously described retaining lug 22 is formed to overlap and better suport the lug 22.

In the arrangement of Figs. 15 to 18, the structure is essentially the same as described for Figs. 11 to 14, except that the spring member 13" includes a further 3 longitudinally projecting portion 27 received between the side walls of the body 11 and providing increased longitudinally resilient support for the spring member.

It will be seen thaLI have described anegrtremely simple clip construction possessing important 'adyantages overprior constructions. In, particular, completely automatic fabrication is possible. There" are no pivoted parts and, therefore, no snagging pivot projections. Furthermore, the spring may be stronger andzexhibit longer flife th an conventional two-piece constructions. because the flexing is better distributed alon'gffieired mem'b ersa nd there is much less initial stress of the .flexed parts. The

"entire device may be automatically fabricated and may be automatically assembled to the comb llltor the like to f which it is permanently secured.

While I have described the invention in detail forthe preferred forms shown, it will be understood that modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the claims which follow.

I claim:

1; A one-piece clip of the character indicated, pomprising an elongated lever body entending between a gripping end and a finger-engagement end, an elongated resilient member integral with one of said ends and extending under said body to an intermediate looa'tionon said body and diverging away from said body. in the direction of said finger-engagementend, and a lug integral with an intermediate portion of one side of said body and projecting at least in part across the underside of said body and in retaining relation with said resilient member under said body, said resilient member being spaced from and movable toward said body at the location of lug retention and being retained by said lug against movement away from said body, whereby stress co'ncentration at said lug is avoided.

channel of said body in; clearance relation withthe bottom of said channel and a second portion diverging from an intermediate location on said body in the direction of said finger-engagement end, and a lug integral with an intermediate part of one channel side and extending in the direction of the corresponding part of the other channel side and in retaining relation with part of said first portion of said resilient member, said resilient member being movable toward said body through said clearance at the location of lug retention'andi being retained by said lug against movement away from said body.

5. Aone-piece ,clip of the character indicated, comprising an elongated leverbody of generally channelshape extending between a gripping end and a fingerengagement end, said gripping end including opposed arcuate lobes defining a gripping point, and an elongated resi1ient member integral with the gripping end of said body and including a first portion rounded in conformity with the contour of said lobes, a-second portion cradled I between the'sides of said channel body and extending to an intermediate location on said body and in'clearance relation with said body, a third portion projecting away from said body in the direction of said fingerengagement end, and lugs integral with. the sides of said body at saidinterrnediate location and extending under said channel in retaining relation with the intermediate 7 part of said resilient member, said resilient member being movable toward said. body through said'clearance at the location of lug retention and being retained by said lugs against movement away from said body. w 3 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,316,189 Rust Sept. 16, 1919 1,358,338 Saunders Nov. 9, 1920 2,130,853 Marshall Sept. 20, 1938 2,423,948 Prince July 15, 1947 F OREIGN. PATENTS 460,528 .Canada Oct. 25, 1949 735,840 France Sept. 6, 1932 918,383 France Oct. 21, 1946 923,580 France Feb. 24,1947 958,577 France Sept.'19,"1949 

